Knife's Edge
by Mrs.JohnReese
Summary: Always seeking adventure, Vanya, daughter of Thranduil, finds her silent prayer answered in the form of the wards in the King's dungeon. Caught between aiding them, and the man she has grown to love, or obeying her father; Vanya will soon be faced with a choice that has the power to alter her life forever. She, and all she cares for, will stand upon the edge of a knife. Please R&R!


**Hello! And welcome to more of my posting insanity. I wanted to start this off with a heartfelt thank you to all for putting up with my continuing indecision regarding this story. And I hope, perhaps, that you may be able to help me figure out where to go from here. **

**Every time I start off with Vanya at the **_**beginning**_** of the quest, I get stuck right after they leave Rivendell. So my question is this—would you be interested in more detail for what develops between Vanya and Bard at the outset, and then having Vanya come in later, when the company is in Mirkwood? Or should I continue going at it from the beginning. I think I may have more luck with plots if she first meets everyone in her father's dungeons—but I don't want to risk her seeming like an unnecessary character either. **

**I guess what I'm going for here, would be your thoughts on the matter. I'm open to any and all suggestion—and of course I can't wait to hear if you're even interested in this or if I should just give it up and move on. **

**Thank you all for bearing with me, as always! I truly do appreciate the support! The wee bit of elvish is translated below…so I guess I will close with a plea for honest opinions on where to go with this; and then we can go from there!**

**Until next time…**

**MJR**

**Mani naa lle umien?-What are you doing?**

**Mankoi lle irma sint?-Why do you want to know?**

…**..**

Picking her way around the pebbles and boulders along the lakeshore, Vanya hopped along with an almost lilting ease; her heart swelling with joy at finally being permitted to travel with her brother past the outer boundaries of their forest home. Always, her father had been hesitant to allow his daughter to journey outward; the whispers of darkness and shadow taking hold in the lands beyond their home forcing him to keep her on a rather tight leash in hopes of preventing harm to fall upon her. The Elven King knew his daughter was willful. Almost reckless in the face of imminent danger. And to lose her at the hands of orcs or whatever else of ill will that there was in the world was a fate that remained completely out of the question. He would sooner see her stay within the walls of his palace forever than permit her injury or worse…

These thoughts notwithstanding, however, King Thranduil had never had it within his heart to deny Vanya or her brother their desires for long. His daughter, in particular, had an almost sinister air of prowess when it came to persuading her father to let her have her way. And so it was that both siblings made the trek to the predestined location that was routinely used to exchange trade and news of the outside world with the men of Lake Town; both of them drinking in the sights around them as they idled at the outskirts of where tradition dictated them to wait. For his part, Legolas was content to simply watch as his sister absorbed their temporary reprieve from the seemingly boundless walls of their forest home with reckless abandon; a smile creeping into his features as he raised his voice to reach her.

"Vanya, Mani naa lle umien?"

Smiling at her brother, Vanya shook her head minutely; knowing he would not understand her boundless excitement at being out among the edges of their world. In direct contrast to her endless thirst for viewing lands other than her own; Legolas was seemingly content to remain within the Greenwood until the end of days, his practicality ever seeking to dampen her innate thirst for new sights. Try though he might, however the elf prince never could sate his sister's curiosity; or put a stop to it. A fact that never ceased to give the elf woman endless amusement as she settled for replying:

"Mankoi lle irma sint?"

Naturally, Legolas had an affectionate retort prepared for just such a question; always ready for his dear sister's wit and quick tongue. But he was stopped from making such a reply evident, the sound of footsteps approaching catching his ear and causing him to turn towards the sound while Vanya did the same. The steps belonged to the very man they were waiting upon…though the younger of the two siblings had not yet had the opportunity to meet him.

The man of Lake Town wore a garb fitting a lesser station; his cloak and boots in dire need of repair as he strode towards them with a stern sense of purpose. Long black hair was partly tied at the back of his head with a small thread, leaving the rest to fall down around his shoulders; blowing a bit in the breeze as he moved. His eyes were sharp…keen, as if he were always on alert for foul play or enemy attack…a fact that would have put Legolas' senses on alert had he not already met the man before.

Inclining his head in the direction of the man as a way of greeting, Legolas stepped forward to meet him; noting how the lake-man's eyes flicked for a moment to Vanya before he spoke.

"I trust you are well, mellon."

"Well enough" The lake-man replied; something in the way he responded indicating that perhaps circumstances were less ideal than he claimed as he turned his attention to Vanya "And you are?"

"Vanya" Legolas answered; catching the faint gleam of bemusement in his sister's eyes at how quickly he had jumped to answer for her before he explained "My sister."

"Ah, so you do venture out into the world" The man quipped, the very faintest hints of a smile twitching at the corner of his mouth as he inclined his head towards their female companion. Of course he had heard much of the princess of Mirkwood…King Thranduil's greatest gem, as the men he worked the waters with joked; often alluding to her seeming prison sentence within the halls of her father as a reference to how the great king kept all he treasured close at hand, never to leave his sight "They call me Bard."

Sparing the man a smile, and ignoring the shrewd way in which he was observing her, Vanya stepped around her brother and extended her hand; a flare of surprise rolling through her at the strength behind Bard's grip as he reached for her…at the worn callouses on his hands…her mind immediately drinking in everything about this newfound acquaintance as she spoke.

"Well, Bard" She said; eyes glinting a bit in amusement at his supposition that she stayed behind closed doors no matter the occasion "Sometimes I do permit my dear brother to take me out for walks."

In spite of himself, Bard let out the smallest of chuckles then; shaking his head in bemused curiosity before returning his attention to the prince he knew well. Certainly he did not wish to appear rude to his new acquaintance; different as she was from any elf he had yet to know. Something about her…perhaps the ever-present gleam in her eyes, or the ease with which she laughed had him curious. But there was business to conduct. Debts to be collected…

Hungry mouths to feed, and a new baby to clothe…

…

"You must _tell_ me, Vanya" Tauriel pleaded; her insistence only magnifying upon the cautious expression on her friend's face "What is he like?"

"What is _who_ like?"

"That Lakeman."

"He is as any other man-" Vanya replied; smiling at her oldest friend's discouraged and disbelieving expression even as Tauriel sought to deny her claim.

"I should hardly think so; given the way your eyes dance when he is mentioned."

"Perhaps you are seeing things, then, Tauriel."

"No, I do not believe I am."

Sighing, Vanya busied herself with twisting strands of her hair into a braid; eyeing her friend with no small degree of apprehension as she weighed the options of what she might say. True, she had been granted opportunity of interacting with the man in question several times now; having garnered at least temporary reprieve from her father's insistence that she stay within his walls. And though there was, indeed, _something_ that intrigued her about the one who called himself Bard; Vanya knew in her heart that there was no way anything could come of their interactions. Even _if _she stood a chance at winning his heart—a far-fetched prospect given his apparent desire for keeping some form of distance between them—

_King Thranduil would sooner see her in irons, than pledged to a human_.

Noting that Tauriel had yet again prepared to press the matter towards places Vanya dared not travel; the young elleth opted instead for rising from her seat, a smile toying with the corners of her mouth as she broached a topic she knew would divert her friend's attentions most effectively.

"Come, Tauriel" She began; heading towards the long hall outside her chambers, and turning back to give her companion a knowing smile "With luck we may find Legolas has not yet consumed all of the wine for tonight's celebration-"

_What a welcome distraction_.

…

**Many thanks, again, for reading! I hope you enjoyed this new take on Vanya's tale. And please don't hesitate to let me know your thoughts!**

**MJR**


End file.
